The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Aug. 03, 2010

Filed:

Mar. 02, 2009
Applicants:

Alexander Kalnitsky, San Francisco, CA (US);

Alan Kramer, Berkeley, CA (US);

Inventors:

Alexander Kalnitsky, San Francisco, CA (US);

Alan Kramer, Berkeley, CA (US);

Assignee:

UPEK, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01R 27/26 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

A planar fingerprint pattern detecting array includes a large number of individual skin-distance sensing cells that are arranged in a row/column configuration. Each sensing cell includes a first capacitor plate placed vertically under the upper surface of a dielectric layer and a second capacitor plate that is placed vertically under the upper surface of the dielectric layer in close horizontal spatial relation to the first capacitor plate. Electrostatic discharge protection relative to electrostatic potential that may be carried by an ungrounded fingertip is provided by placing a number of grounded metal paths within the dielectric layer to spatially surround each of the first and second capacitor plates, this being done in a manner that does not disturb the ungrounded state of the fingertip.


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